Description

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A WATERSTONES BEST BOOK OF 2023
BARNES & NOBLE’S BEST SCIENCE & NATURE BOOKS OF 2023

The arts can deliver potent, accessible and proven solutions for the wellbeing of everyone.

In this book, Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. This can be anything from painting and dancing to expressive writing, architecture and more – no matter your skill level.

Your Brain on Art is an authoritative guide to how neuroaesthetics can help us transform traditional healing, build healthier communities and mend an aching planet.

Publisher Review

Draws on cutting-edge research . . . A compelling case for art’s vital role in brain health * * Telegraph * * Fascinating . . . Drives home the message that aesthetic engagement (no matter how small) can improve your life * * New Scientist * * Mesmerising . . . The authors detail a wealth of research that shows how doing some sort of artistic activity has measurable benefits. And I, for one, am persuaded * * Mail on Sunday * * This book blew my mind! An authoritative yet practical guide to the neuroarts . . . A romp through the latest science on how art transforms the brain and the body — ANGELA DUCKWORTH, bestselling author of GRIT: THE POWER OF PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE Your Brain on Art will change how you think about the creative world – both around you and within you — CHARLES DUHIGG, author of bestsellers THE POWER OF HABIT and SMARTER FASTER BETTER An extraordinary and important book. Magsamen and Ross put us back in touch with one of the defining features of being human – art — DANIEL LEVITIN, bestselling author of THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON MUSIC A groundbreaking book on the science behind humanity, joy and creativity. Art is the word we use for the magic that makes us better — SETH GODIN, bestselling author of THIS IS MARKETING Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, through extensive interviews and research, have created something beautiful and affirming with their book Your Brain on Art. Its pages provide proof for what so many of us have always known, that art, especially art in community, is transformative beyond measure — DAVID BYRNE, bestselling author of HOW MUSIC WORKS This mind-bending book can help shape richer lives and a newer world. It’s the best description yet of the indivisibility of art, the natural world, and our neurological health — RICHARD LOUV, author of THE NATURE PRINCIPLE and LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS In their captivating book, Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross have assembled something remarkable: a scientific framework for understanding how art affects us. For anyone who has been transfixed by a painting, or moved to tears by a piece of music, this book provides a fascinating tour of what goes on in the brain when we encounter art’s transformative power — ANNIE MURPHY PAUL, author of THE EXTENDED MIND: THE POWER OF THINKING OUTSIDE THE BRAIN